Australia news LIVE: Dutton proposes another new citizenship policy; Israeli airstrikes kill more than 400 in Gaza

The government is continuing its defence of rising power prices as an unavoidable consequence of international forces including global inflation and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with the prime minister arguing Australians have been shielded from the blow by energy rebates.

Speaking in Brisbane, Albanese noted that Queenslanders were receiving $1300 off their energy bills, thanks to the $300 federal government rebate, and an additional $1000 from the state government.

“They are measures that were opposed by Peter Dutton and his Coalition,” Albanese said.

“Like they opposed the cap on gas and coal prices that we introduced as a result of the global spike. They said that was an intervention in the market that wasn’t justified. It made a difference for people, just like our energy rebates have made a difference for people.”

Albanese then criticised the Coalition for its lack of economic policies, claiming Dutton hasn’t put forward “a single policy that will make a difference to cost of living for Australians”.

Asked if Australians could expect any further cost of living help, the PM threw the question forward to the budget that will be handed down on Tuesday.

“We’ll always look towards what we can do in cost of living measures, but in ways that are designed to put that downward pressure on inflation, because that’s important.”

Keeping with his new “soap bubble” metaphor, the PM used the term to respond to Peter Dutton’s citizenship crackdown, including the suggestion that a Coalition government could hold a referendum on new powers to deport criminal dual nationals, and a change to the citizenship test.

“It’s another soap bubble,” Albanese said.

“We will see if it lasts until a couple of hours away, yesterday’s didn’t make it the lunchtime.”

In a metaphor-heavy press conference, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese dismissed the Coalition’s pledge to accelerate federal approval for Woodside’s North West Shelf gas expansion as another “soap bubble”, coining a new term for a “thought bubble” because he claims Peter Dutton’s ideas last as long as a bubble bath.

Speaking to the media in Brisbane, Albanese said the federal government was considering the gasfield expansion in line with environmental approval law, before slamming Dutton’s newest pledge.

“It’s a thought bubble without the thought and it’s really like a soap bubble because it lasts about as long as a bit of soap bubble that comes up from a bubble bath or something, it just disappears into the ether within hours,” Albanese said.

“They just come up with these things and they walk away from them, whether it’s referendums, whether it be zonal taxation rates, whether it be the other statements that Peter Dutton makes.”

“He is like that character from Spinal Tap, everything is up to 11 straightaway,” Albanese said. (If that reference is lost on you, head here).

Albanese continues that the Coalition needs to “start getting serious about policy”.

After Prime Minister Anthony Albanese held his first phone call with new Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney overnight, Defence Minister Richard Marles pushed back against suggestions Australia needs to strengthen its relationship with Canada.

Discussing the global fallout from Donald Trump slapping tariffs on the US’ closest allies on ABC News Breakfast, Marles said nothing needed to change in the Australia-Canada relationship.

“We continue to work with Canada. Canada is a close partner. It’s a Five Eyes partner and we’ve been working with Canada before Donald Trump became the president.”

Marles welcomed Carney’s interest in buying “over-the-horizon radar” technology from Australia.

“What’s in prospect here is potentially the biggest defence industry export that Australia has ever been a part of, and that would obviously be very good for Australian industry,” he said.

Asked if Australia needed to stand up for Canada more in the face of US aggression, Marles said, “Canada will stand up for itself”.

“What we’re seeing is Canada working through its own issues in relation to the United States. And that’s, to be honest, a matter between Canada and the US.”

The prime minister held a press conference in Brisbane.

He’s speaking at a Services Australia centre in the suburb of South Brisbane, within the electorate of Griffith. A former Labor stronghold, Griffith was won by the Greens’ Max Chandler-Mather in 2022.

Watch the PM speak here:

The directors of embattled tech group WiseTech Global confirmed that company founder and executive chairman Richard White misled the board about his personal relationships which have thrown the $28 billion group into turmoil, but his job remains secure.

White’s fellow directors made an update to the ASX Wednesday morning about internal reviews of White’s conduct by Herbert Smith Freehills, Seyfarth Shaw and McGrathNicol which provided forensic accounting services.

The report found that White made “inaccurate and incomplete disclosures” to the board about one of his relationships with representations he made to the board and its review “misleading about personal matters concerning the end of the relationship.”

“The Board Sub-Committee (comprising Mike Gregg, Charles Gibbon and Maree Isaacs) has indicated to Mr White that a number of the matters are serious in nature, and that such conduct is not acceptable and must not be repeated,” the statement from WiseTech said.

But the company said that a shareholder survey supported the board’s view that White was too important to face any significant repercussions for his actions which triggered two downgrades.

“Mr White has indicated that while those matters were personal in nature, with the benefit of hindsight he would have more fulsomely disclosed them to the Board and handled the contracting process differently. Mr White accepts the findings of the Board Review and has committed to, and is supportive of, a new and more stringent Code of Conduct in respect of such matters.”

“He is deeply grateful to be given an opportunity to lead the Company as Executive Chair. He is committed to contributing to the success of the Company he co-founded.”

To Victoria, where Premier Jacinta Allan has repeatedly denied corruption allegations made by ousted deputy police commissioner Neil Paterson.

Allan said in a press conference this morning the claims that a conspiracy forced Paterson and former top cop Shane Patton out of Victoria Police were baseless and a disappointing politicisation of corruption agencies.

“They’re completely untrue these allegations. They’re baseless, completely untrue. And it is quite disappointing, really disappointing, that there are some people choosing to politicise IBAC, politicise an integrity agency, by making these absolutely baseless allegations,” Allan said.

She reaffirmed that Department of Premier and Cabinet secretary Jeremi Moule contacted Rick Nugent on the weekend of February 15 and 16, but was unaware which day.

Acting Police Commissioner Rick Nugent also denied the allegations. “There was absolutely no discussion between myself and the government about me stepping into the Acting Chief Commissioner role prior to the weekend of 15-16 February,” he said in a statement.

“There was no condition Deputy Commissioner Paterson be removed for me to return to Victoria Police.”

The two Bankstown nurses allegedly filmed in an antisemitic video have appeared in court for the first time, flanked by supporters as they arrived at Sydney’s Downing Centre.

Sarah Abu Lebdeh, 26, and Ahmad Rashad Nadir, 27, were charged earlier this month after an Israeli influencer released the video in which the pair allegedly said they would kill and fail to treat Israeli patients.

They each appeared briefly before the court on Wednesday and did not speak to the magistrate, who adjourned both matters until May.

Nadir’s lawyer on Wednesday morning told reporters his client would plead not guilty and seek to have the video excluded on the grounds his client was illegally recorded.